Loop valve tester incorporates HART communications14 November 2018

A new handheld tester from Fluke, 710 mA Loop Valve Tester, can interrogate control valves in situ, potentially avoiding the need for complicated testers that require extensive training, the removal of the valve, and often one-to-two hours of test time on the bench.

The new device enables technicians to source the 4-20 mA process signal to actuate the valve, while reading HART data to collect information about the valve’s position and status to make sure that it is moving to the expected position.

HART is the global standard for sending and receiving digital information across the 4-20mA analogue current loops that connect the vast majority of field instruments with distributed control systems; it is owned by FieldComm Group.

In addition to positional information, the measured pressure delivered from the valve’s internal I/P (which moves the valve) can be seen with the HART communication protocol.

The Fluke 710 features pre-configured valve tests, including manual changes to the signal, full-range ramping of the signal, stepping the signal, speed tests, bump and partial-stroke tests.

Results are stored in memory, where it can be uploaded to the included ValveTrack analysis software.